About Us
Singapore beyond Singapore. Beyond territorial sovereignty and legal fictions. Beyond political controls and cultural straitjackets. Singapore Unbound is an invitation to dream new possibilities for the idea of Singapore.
Founded in New York City by Singaporean poet Jee Leong Koh, Singapore Unbound builds people-to-people understanding by facilitating cultural exchange, publishing literary works of merit, and presenting insightful events. Even though Singaporeans and Americans have been living in each other’s country for a long time, the history of this two-way expatriation is yet to be written. With the growth in arts education, creative industries, and academic ties between both countries, more writers and artists than ever are making their homes abroad. Singapore Unbound is born of this movement of people and ideas.
Since 2014, our flagship activity, the biennial Singapore Literature Festival held in New York City, has brought together Singaporean and American authors and audiences for in-depth conversations about literature and society. Between festivals, we extend the dialogue by running the Second Saturdays Reading Series, a regular platform for the reading of Singaporean and American literatures in various intimate venues around New York City. The exchanges led to the birth of our independent press Gaudy Boy, which is focused on bringing powerful works of poetry, fiction, and non-fiction by authors of Asian heritage to an American and Singaporean audience. To further this goal, we have also created SUSPECT, a journal of Asian writing and art, publishing original writings, book reviews, and artist interviews.
A staunch proponent of the freedom of expression, Singapore Unbound upholds the creative autonomy of the committed writer. We challenge censorship of the arts and support fair opportunities for all artists. Motivated by a spirit of innovation, we create opportunities and collaborations where none existed before, such as holding the first-ever Singapore Independent Media Fair in 2023. The event brought more than 20 independent media outlets and hundreds of Singaporeans together for a day of dynamic conversations, out of which NIMBUS—a network of independent media outlets—was established. In our audience outreach, we seek always to inspire a love for literature and a regard for truth. The arts, for us, are not a hobby or a tool, but a way of life.
Our activities are guided by our Five-Point Compass:
Everyone should have the means and opportunities to live a creative and fulfilling life.
With careful stewardship, Earth provides the means for everyone to live such a life.
Where existing social, economic, and political arrangements prevent anyone from leading such a life, we work to highlight and change them.
We do so through the subversive, innovative, and empathetic powers of the arts, especially by amplifying underrepresented voices.
Working from the existing framework of nation-states, we cultivate a strong and genuine solidarity around the actualization of the common good beyond borders.
As our work extends beyond borders and deepens in its impact, we invite you to dream with us, and support us, as we strive to fulfill our cherished values through the arts and activism.